Band Member Bios

Bobby "Rex" Recchia knew from an early age that sharing his musical abilities with others was exactly what made him happiest of all. Jumping up to the piano at age 5 Bobby tried to emulate what 3 of his older sisters played after their respective lessons. Playing the same pieces from memory and adding his own musical flair was a joy in his world in those innocent days. The piano is not an easy instrument to master he found, and after struggling a little with notation and not connecting with the right instructor, at 13 Bobby moved on to the guitar. This was the right instrument he felt immediately. Being able to sit front and center for an entire Muddy Waters show at age 13 and look the blues master in the eyes at Navy Pier in Chicago held a profound impact on Bobby Rex's adherence to encouraging soulful music creation and presentation not just as a sideline hobby, but maybe held the possibilities of a career. He started his first band at age 18 leading a trio on lead vocals and electric guitar. He found this was just what he needed to get over any shyness or stage freight. Playing in garages and local bars fueled Rex's love for getting to right where the people were. Outdoor fares and parties were always fun to play in those days. Sharing original songs and riff-based classic rock, and blues tunes kept Bobby performing in and around Chicago, and still does

Bobby Rex sang lead, played guitar, keyboards, and bass and wrote songs for an original 4-piece band in the late 80s called The Given. A few cover bands Bobby Rex played in during those days while playing the wedding circuit and hosts of other venues and events around Chicago were called Men of Leisure, The Remarks, Biff and the Waybacks, and his Irish band, The Sprig 'O Mint All Stars. His all original project, Bobby Rex and the Nomads produced some original tracks, continued to foster his creative spirit, and improved his songwriting ability. Bobby did all kinds of music related jobs including hosting open mics, running sound, and managing a cd, cassette, and vinyl store, while performing with an eclectic array of musicians in the area garnering more stage time with lots of different players. Bobby became well acquainted with classic rock, alternative, folk, country, and several world music genres during this growth period while connecting with various audiences in the Chicago area.

While still keeping busy performing in cover bands, Bobby Rex increased his solo and duo performances during the 90s. A career in the computer business for 10 years slowed down Bobby's live music performances to roughly 50 per year. For 10 years starting in '04 Bobby Rex managed the entertainment at the famous high-end restaurant and lounge in the North Shore of Chicago called Lovell's of Lake Forest. Bobby Rex was elated one night when Arturo Sandoval, the tremendous Cuban trumpet player was a guest in the house as he had heard about the music shows that I had put together in the Captain's Quarters Lounge. Bobby had the opportunity to perform with the legendary Davy Jones from the Monkees one night in 2007 as well as with Martha Reeves the great soulful Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee. In 2013 Bobby Rex did as many as 130 performances which is his high water mark in terms of live gigs per year currently. 2018 has Bobby Rex on track for about 80 shows. Bobby Rex has performed at more than 1,800 shows over his career so far.

Today, a self-contained musical act of vocals, guitars, and harmonicas Bobby Rex entertains in restaurants, country clubs, pubs, private parties, concerts, festivals, and special events year round. Bobby's repertoire is voluminous and he caters the nightly set list to each specific audience at the venue or event at hand. Bobby Rex has 2 cds of original music available and may play those songs at certain events when the occasion permits. Bobby Rex is currently recording a new 13 song CD which should be released by the fall of 2018. Bobby looks forward to providing his unique & personal entertainment experience at the next venue in your town.

Bobby "Rex" Recchia holds a Bachelor of Science degree from DeVry Institute of Technology and several courses toward his Masters in Business Administration from Keller Graduate School of Management. Bobby has his 200-Hr Yoga Teacher Certificate and knows that the true, compassionate Jesus Christ is his companion always.